


passenger

by heelsandarrows



Series: hell or highwater [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, First Meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 14:05:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5969752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heelsandarrows/pseuds/heelsandarrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 15 hour plane ride is a long time</p>
            </blockquote>





	passenger

**Author's Note:**

> Ok it's been so long since I've updated and I'm so sorry I have a ton of reasons why. Also I keep making new chapters and not going back to finish old ones so I have like 4 ones started that I need to finish. Also ao3 changed the tagging system on me and I'm not a fan. Ok but here we go.

He usually got to things on time, however for his flight he just had to run late. Doug jogged up to his gate just in time, he was one of the lasts to get on but it didn’t really matter. He just wanted to get on the plane and get home. He scanned his ticket checking his seats again, he wasn’t going to be stuck in the aisle of seats, thankfully, but he did note his seat was a window spot. He silently groaned as he waited for people in front of him to move. Usually window seats were highly sought after, but seeing out the window just made him sick.

Doug reached his row and saw that whoever had the seat next to him was there already. He stood there awkwardly, then the woman in the seat looked up at him, waiting for him to say something. All he could do was to smile awkwardly. She had been a lot more attractive than he expected. “Seat?” He blurted out suddenly. The woman gave a nod and stood up to let him in. He shook his head, telling her to stop, and partly helping on clearing his own mind to properly speak. He asked her if she wanted to switch seats in hindi, explaining his situation. She did accept in the end however, a relief to him.

Once they were up in the air, flying didn’t bother him too much. It was the landing and taking off that got to him. The fact was everyone was on the plane, but they were going to be delayed for around ten minutes. Doug didn’t listen to the flight attendant when she was saying what the holdup was. All he knew was that something must’ve been wrong. His anxieties spiked up once more. 

Despite it being a larger plane, he felt incredibly cramped. There were so many people. Everyone was hot. He just tried to focus on his breathing, it was somewhat working. His leg bounced up and down as he glanced around the cabin looking for some sign on what was happening. He moved his head again and this time landed on his seat mate. She held out an unopened water bottle to him. He stumbled over the words, but declined her offer. Under this anxiety it made it hard for him how to properly remember on speaking hindi. It never came as easily to him as it had his brother. 

 

“Seriously, drink it. It’ll help you relax.” There was something about her that he trusted, so he took the water. “We’re just delayed a few minutes waiting for another crew member who’s running late. No technical issues or anything,” she promised him. 

He nodded and got out a thank you. It was just then that the plane had started moving. “Mind if I keep this?” He asked, holding up the water. She gave him the go ahead and he settled into his seat, preparing for take off. His eyes were shut, but he opened them for brief moments up just to take a look at what she was doing. His passenger was glued to the window, watching everything happen. Then they got off the ground.

Twenty minutes later once they were high enough and had been going steady enough did she finally look away from the window. Doug calmed down considerably now that they were in the air. “Anything interesting out there?” 

“Just India,” she replied solemnly.

Doug gave a short nod then stopped talking again. However he couldn't stand the silence. “Thanks again, for helping out. How’d you know that would work?”

His seatmate raised her eyebrow slightly, “It’s not a problem… Simple knowledge I guess. My brother gets anxiety attacks sometimes, I’ve dealt with it before.”

Doug nodded again and sat in silence for a moment once more. She had her eyes closed and laid back in her seat. Then he sat up a little more and turned to her again, her eyes opened looking straight at him waiting for him to say something. “Durja- Eh sorry, Doug,” he said extending his hand to her. 

“Priyanka,” she said and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Durja.”

There was something about the way she said his birth name that didn't upset him. She had said it so sincerely. He wasn't sure why, but his heart kept racing. He felt the need to be able to keep talking. He didn't want the silence between them. She had gone back to closing her eyes and resting. He knew he should just let her be but his mouth had other plans. “Are you leaving home or going back home?” He asked.

Once more she opened her eyes to look at him. “Both,” she said with a smile. At his confused look Priyanka sat up, “I was born in India, lived there for years, then I moved to America, and now I love there. They're both my homes, but for different reasons.”

“I see…” He muttered. He looked down taking in this information. After another few moments of silence he turned back to look at her, she was staring right back expectedly, just waiting. “You, uh, mentioned you have a brother?” 

Priyanka smiled, “I have three actually… Why’re you so interested in my life and what I have to say?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Sorry. 15 hour plane ride is long, figured getting to know who's sitting next to me would make it go faster.” 

“Didn't you bring anything to do?” He shook his head. “You don't fly much do you?” He shook it again. She pursed her lips slightly, he was still very jumpy. It was going to be long, she had brought a book and she could easily just read it now and forget everything about her passenger. But she wasn't going to do that. If he wanted to talk she would be fine with it. She couldn't help but feel bad for him and the anxiety he was feeling. He leg was bouncing up and down. “Are you going home?” She asked.

He had closed his eyes thinking she wasn't going to talk to him, so it came at a surprise when she did. “Uh, yeah. School starts soon. I was just visiting family, had a funeral, things like that.”

Priyanka nodded, noting that he was a student also. “I’m sorry. Was it a grandparent?”

“What?”

“The funeral?”

“Oh- no… It was some aunt that I’d never even met. Family I met with too was pretty distant.”

“If you didn't know her why go? You obviously don't like flying, why go? Why not stay in the states?”

Doug laughed, then realized she was probably serious. “Well, my parents knew her, and she’s still family and so is everyone else. I had to go. My parents told me I had to go,” he shrugged slightly. 

“So you just do whatever your parents say? You have anxiety about flying, maybe if you tell them that then you wouldn't have to fly.”

He shook his head, laughing again. “They’ve flown with me before, so it’s not that they don’t know, they just don’t care. They’d rather I suffer and get to a family event than I not show up at all. Besides, I can’t just not do what they say…”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” He scoffed, “Well, because I can’t. It’s not something you do, go against what your parents say.”

“You’re over 18 are you not? You’re an adult. You can make your own choices.”

“Do you? Do you make your own choices?”

Priyanka raised an eyebrow, “This isn’t about me-”

“Just answer it. Do you make your own choices?” 

She thought for a moment then nodded, “Yes… I would say for the most part I do.”

“And how do your parents react?”

“I-I suppose generally, they’re okay with whatever my decisions are. They had hopes for what they wanted me to be, but I told them what I wanted to be, and they let me go that way. We talk it out and sometimes their opinions change. We talk and figure things out pretty well.”

Doug nodded, “I see. Now imagine that, except when you go to talk to your parents they don’t respond, they never change opinions, they talk over you, make you stop talking.”

“But that doesn’t happen-”

“Maybe not for you. But that is what it’s like trying to talk to my parents. So that is why I can’t just do what I want. Not everything, is like how great your life is. It’s hard for some people.”

Priyanka felt a strange ping hit her, “You don’t know anything about my life. You can’t tell me how great it is…” Even if her life was better sounding than his was, he still didn’t have the right to make accusations like that.

There was another silence, Priyanka figured the talking was done. “I’m sorry.” He said finally. “I didn’t mean to upset you. You’re right, I don’t know anything about you.”

She crossed her arms and sighed, “It’s alright. I’m sorry for assuming things about you,” she apologized to him. “No one deserves to be treated like that Durja.”

There went a few beats. “Doug,” he corrected her. “It’s Doug.” He was prone to forgetting a few times that he was going to change it. But the best thing he could do was to just get everyone else to say it. 

“Doug,” She nodded correcting herself. “Sorry, I thought before you had said-”

“It’s okay. I-I probably said it earlier. I didn’t mean to. I’m going to change it, still have to get used to it slightly.”

She couldn’t help but suppress a small smile, “From Durja to Doug huh? Well, it’s very American…”

“That’s the point,” he said with a slight smile.

“Well, I think it works. I know it doesn’t matter, but I think I prefer Durja much more.”

When she had said it, he didn’t mind his name that much. She didn’t laugh, mispronounce it, or anything like that, it was natural. “You and my parents have that in common then.”

“Do they not like Doug?” 

“They just don’t like the idea that I’m want to change my name period. It’s a topic of a very heated argument around my house. However, I’ve managed to convince them I’ve forgot all about it. So if you ever meet my parents, which I hope you don’t have that opportunity, don’t bring it up.” He said giving her a smile.

“Making your own choices now, are we?”

He looked over and smiled at her, “I’ve been inspired by someone.” 

She couldn’t help but blush slightly, glancing away. At the talk of how his parent’s weren’t very supportive of anything it seemed like he tried to do, she couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He was nice and sweet, and deserved more. Yet all he did was to laugh things off like they were a big deal. 

Their conversations carried on, drifting from topics to topics. She learned even more about his family, and his older brother, while she divulged the secrets of her own family. Just to talk freely with someone was nice. There would be no repercussions. It wasn’t like they were really going to see each other again. She could speak freely about anything.

Doug never was the best at holding up some conversations, he could get drained from them so easily. However, with Priyanka she was very easy to talk to. If he was at a loss of words, she usually filled the void of silence. She was witty, smart, and fiery. Their talking ran for so long it had been a no brainer that they both got exhausted after a while.

He could feel himself starting to doze off. He wasn't really sure how much longer was left on the flight, he didn't really care. In fact he wouldn't really mind if the flight went on forever. He glanced over at Priyanka who was now engrossed in her book. Then he fell asleep. He woke up from time to time after that. Priyanka had still been reading. Then the last time he woke up, she was asleep. 

It was like an inner alarm waking him up the last time right before the flight was preparing to land. Before he could really sit up and stretch he then noticed the extra weight on his shoulder. Priyanka had fallen asleep right on his shoulder. He didn't want to move. He sat frozen, not wanting to wake her. 

There was great difficulty in trying not to move and yet get comfortable for the landing. He could feel his anxiety rising at the idea of landing but his inability to move helped to suppress it. They reached the ground and his heart was pounding. He couldn't tell if it was from the actual landing, or if it was because of Priyanka on his shoulder. 

He glanced over at her as she still lay peacefully asleep, “Priyanka,” he said softly nudging her. She started to stir and woke up. “We’re here.”

“Sorry,” she apologized stretching. The two gathered up their things, walking with each other as far as the carousel was. 

Doug grabbed his suitcase just as she went for hers. “Well, it was nice meeting you,” he said with a smile.

“Likewise.” She shook his hand and waved goodbye to him. That was it. He almost wanted to stop her, and ask for her number or address or something. Instead he just watched her go. Right before walking out the door, she turned to give him one more smile, which he happily returned.


End file.
